Majority of disabled people in Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru lack health insurance coverage: Report
Bengaluru: An overwhelming majority of people with disabilities in Bengaluru Rural and Tumakuru remain without health insurance coverage, with most having received no health support or assistive aids in the past year, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) and the NGO Astha.
The report, as cited by Deccan Herald, surveyed 758 individuals—388 from Bengaluru Rural and 370 from Tumakuru—55 percent of whom were men. Alarmingly, the findings reveal that 96 percent of disabled persons in Tumakuru and 88 percent in Bengaluru Rural do not have access to health insurance.
Over 90 percent of respondents across both districts reported not having availed any form of health support or assistive devices last year. In addition to this, a large proportion of participants suffered from locomotor disabilities.
Education and employment statistics were equally stark—47 percent in Bengaluru Rural and 24 percent in Tumakuru were illiterate, and around 70 percent of all respondents were unemployed, relying entirely on family support. Most of the families in both districts earned less than Rs 1 lakh per annum.
Respondents expressed that their disabilities compounded existing hardships—ranging from limited access to education and employment to social exclusion and economic difficulties, added the report. Many also acknowledged vulnerability to climate change-related health impacts.
“The tragedy of the disability sector is that the basics are not in place. Health for people with disabilities is a matter of life and death; assistive aids cannot be populist schemes,” DH quoted Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP, as saying.
The report proposes a series of recommendations to address the systemic gaps: Creating disability-friendly public services, subsidising healthcare and improving accessibility to health insurance schemes, census based on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, updating Disability IDs, community-based health management and private and charitable organisations' involvement, and capacity building of caregivers through self-help groups.
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Jharkhand: 2 killed, 5 injured after being run over by truck
Garhwa/Hazaribag (PTI): Two persons were killed and five others injured after being allegedly run over by a truck in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district on Thursday evening, police said.
The deceased were standing near a roadside puncture repair shop in Charhi when the accident happened, they said.
The injured persons were admitted to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital, they added.
"The identity of the deceased is yet to be ascertained," said a police officer.
In another accident in Garhwa, two men in their mid-20s died after being hit by a speeding tractor, police said.
The accident happened in the Mahuliya panchayat in the Garhwa police station area in the early hours, they said.
"Rahul Chaudhary (26) and Nandlal Ram (26) were standing near their motorcycle on the roadside. A speeding tractor coming from the opposite direction hit them. Rahul died on the spot, while Nandlal succumbed to the injuries while being taken to the Sadar Hospital," said a police officer.
"Immediately after the mishap, the tractor driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. The tractor has been seized, and raids are underway to apprehend the absconding driver," he said.
